The month of February is dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease and increasing knowledge about prevention. Heart disease can be prevented. Educate yourself on the dangers of heart disease and get on track to better heart health.
Cardiovascular disease – including heart disease and stroke – is the leading cause of death in the United States. Every day, 2200 people die from cardiovascular disease – that's 815,000 Americans each year, or 1 in every 3 deaths. The good news is that many risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and smoking can be prevented and controlled. To help, Medicare provides payment for the following benefits:
-Initial Preventive Physical Exam (also known as the “Welcome to Medicare” Visit)
-Annual Wellness Visit, including Personalized Prevention Plan Service
-Cardiovascular Screening (total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins, and triglycerides tests)
-Intensive Behavioral Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease
-Tobacco-Use Cessation Counseling Services
What Can You Do?
-Help seniors and others with Medicare better understand and identify their risk factors for heart disease and stroke
-Talk with your patients about what they can do to reduce, eliminate, or control their cardiovascular disease risk factors and encourage appropriate use of the Medicare preventive benefits that can help them reach these goals
-Learn more about and take advantage of information provided by campaigns like American Heart Month and Million Hearts, a national initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over five years. For additional information on reducing the risk of a heart attack or surviving a heart attack, visit the following websites:
Thank you for joining with CMS in promoting the increased awareness of cardiovascular disease, its risk factors, and related preventive benefits covered by Medicare.
